Hotels  Getting Around Atlanta Parking  What You'll Need Scheduling  Health

Hotels 

• Reserve your room early, especially if you want to get into the official hotels. Rooms tend to fill up around February.  For 2009 con rate rooms were sold out in October of 2008.
• If you find yourself without a reservation with only a month or two to go before con, post to the dragonconrooms LiveJournal community, which is for trading reservations and finding roomshares.
• Write your room number down and keep it with you on all times. Do the same for your friends
• Directionally impaired? Consider taking a picture of where you parked and where your room is. First, an establishing shot including landmarks. Then a close up so to see the room number on the tiny camera window.
• Always keep your badge and room key with you - *especially* if you leave the hotel. At some points throughout the con, especially during the big evening events, you might need these just to get into the hotel and up to your hotel room. This particularly impacts those staying in the Hyatt.
• Many activities change rooms from year to year  (e.g., in 2009 registration moved to the Sheraton and Artist's Alley moved to the Hyatt). Check the schedule to be sure where any events are going to be located.

Getting Around Atlanta

• You'll be walking a lot. Get used to the idea. Electric wheelchairs aren't a good idea unless it's strictly necessary.
• Try Marta. Local train and bus service from the Airport to the Hotels is available, as well as from some of the suburban areas of the city. Details can be found on their website.
• If you're willing to take your life into your own hands, you can try driving. Be warned that many roads in the area of the hotels are one-way only. Buying or printing a map of the area would be wise if you're unfamiliar with the area. Some driving directions are available on the Dragon*Con website.
• For the most part, if you're staying in one of the host hotels, you should be able to walk to most necessary destinations. And it's good for you anyway.

Parking 

• While there is parking at the host hotels, the volume of vehicles during the convention can overwhelm the facilities. Additional parking is available at the Peachtree Center garage. The garage (connected by "habi-trail", aka "hamster tubes" or "elevated walkways", to the food court) is cheaper than the hotels, and gives you a place to store your luggage after you have checked out of the hotel. 
• Not all of the hotel's garages can handle tall vehicles, especially the Hyatt. If you have a larger vehicle, consider checking with the hotel before you make parking plans. 

What You'll Need

•  For an extensive list see: Packing List 

These things are mandatory:

• Cash. The local ATMs almost always run out by the end of the first day of the convention. Remember basic personal security in a crowd. Keep your wallet in a front pocket where it won't be easily lost or ganked.
• Identification for getting your membership, getting into bars, and so on.
• Enough clothing for a fresh change of every day you are away from home (Laundry service not withstanding)
• Toiletries, etc., that you may need beyond your clothing.
• Your costumes, costuming equipment (for instance, an emergency sewing kit),
• Be careful with portable electronics. At a convention of this size it's very easy for them to be lost or stolen. Don't bring them if they're not strictly necessary.
• A sense of humor.  You will be dealing with 20,000 people in a relatively small area and all the fallout that goes along with accommodating 20,000 people.  If you cannot laugh at others, goofy scenarios that might come up, and yourself, you will likely drive yourself and those around you nuts. 

Scheduling 

• Pick up a Daily Dragon each and every day from the clearly marked Information Booths. There will be cancellations and minor schedule changes daily. This is also available on the Daily Dragon website if you feel like paying the hotel for Internet access.
• You won't see all that you want to see at con, so don't plan a rigid schedule. Pick 4-5 events you must see, and let everything else go with the flow. If you're out of ideas and bored then you're doing it wrong, but try hanging out in the Exhibitor's Hall or the Dealer's Room.
• If you are a planner (and not a go with the flow person) bring colored highlighters. Use one color for Plan A in a given time slot, another color for Plan B. You won't always get to do plan A. Finally, a color or symbol to mark what you did. Once you have established your system, write the Key for it down on the front page.
• Use Google spreadsheet so you can share your schedule with your friends and roommates.  Color coding is available right on the sheet.
• When trying to make back-to-back panels, consider which hotels the panels are in to ensure enough travel time. Keep in mind that the routes that people use to move between hotels change from time to time. You might need to walk a couple of blocks more than you expected if they shut down a hotel entrance due to capacity and flow issues - if something is really important to you - go early!
• Mega panels involving high-profile stars (Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, Whedonverse, etc.) will have long lines. If your goal is to get a good seat, you may need to get in line over an hour early.
• Large events like the Masquerade are rebroadcast on Dragon*Con TV. The pocket program will indicate which events will be broadcast live or broadcast at a later time. Check the Daily Dragon for the hotel channels used in the four main convention hotels (Hyatt, Marriott, Sheraton & Hilton).
• Don't feel bad if you miss the Masquerade, the DVD is available for sale after the convention.

Health 

• Remember to wash your hands regularly. With 20,000+ people packed into a square mile or so, germs will be everywhere. 
• Even if you do remember to wash your hands, it may be helpful to carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer. This will help in situations where you can't quickly make it to a restroom and you begin to feel the germs crawling all over you.
• Remember to bathe. While this should be an obvious step in the daily life of most people, in the excitement of Dragon*Con, some people tend to forget. You'll want to get in at least one shower a day. This is not only for your own health, but for the sake of the people around you.
• It might be wise to carry a can of spray-on deodorant. This will cover unfortunate instances of waking up in an unknown location after blacking out at the bar the evening before, but can also be used to ward off other offenders. To accomplish the latter, the most effective method is to cover your face, spray the offender, and shout "UNCLEAN" to be certain that others nearby are warned.
• Be certain to bring enough extra underwear for at least one fresh pair daily.
• For health advice relating to more risqué subjects, try Safe Sex At Dragon*Con.